Device for use with collapsible dispensing tubes



June 21, 1966 H. A. BALKE 3,257,038

DEVICE FOR USE WITH COLLAPSIBLE DISPENSING TUBES Filed Dec. 25, 1964 Arm 0% A Y J INVENTOR [AW/ 43 3,257,038 DEVICE FOR USE WITH COLLAPSIBLE DISPENSING TUBES Henry A. Balke, 14945 Northern Blvd, Flushing, N.Y. Filed Dec. 23, 1964, Ser. No. 420,531 2 Claims. (Cl. 222-99) This invention relates to collapsible tubes for dispensing viscous materials and more specifically to a novel 'and improved device for attachment to a dispensing tube to facilitate controlled discharge of the contents therefrom.

One object of the invention resides in the provision of a novel and improved device to enable the controlled removal of the contents from a collapsible tube so that precise amounts can be dispensed with ease.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a novel and improved device for attachment to the sealed end portion of a collapsible tube to facilitate rolling of the end of the tube as the contents are dispensed therefrom and effectively displace substantially all of the contents of the tube toward the forward end of the tube as it is emptied thus enabling substantially complete removal 'of all material therefrom.

Still another object of the invention resides in a novel and improved device for attachment to collapsible tubes to dispense the contents thereof while at the same time ejecting the material from the forward end of the tube which would normally be exposed to air and thereby prevent the entrance of excessive air into the tube which often results in deterioration of the product constained therein.

A further object of the invention resides in a novel and improved device for use with collapsible tubes that will afford controlled flow from the tube and at the same time will prevent damage'to the tube or the formation of kinks or bends which normally trap portions of the contents therein. a

The above and other objects of the invention will become more apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings forming part of this applica: tion.

In the drawings:

:FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the device in accordance with the invention and preparatory to engagement with the sealed end portion of a collapsible tube. FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the device in accordance with the invention in position on a collapsible tube.

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of a device in accordance with the invention showing the manner in which the tube is rolled upon the device during the course of operation.

The device for the with collapsible tubes in accordance with the invention is arranged and designed to facilitate the discharge of substantially all of the contents from a collapsible tube such as a tube of toothpaste, shaving cream, paint or the like and at the same time provide adequate mechanical advantage so that the tube may be easily rolled and afford .a relatively controlled flow of the contents from the end of the tube. These ends are at- United States Patent tained by a new and improved peripheral configuration 3,257,038 Patented June 21, 1966 ice close the opening. The other end of the tube is generally flattened and then either folded upon. itself or provided 'with a suitable clamp to permanently seal the end. With this arrangement and upon removal of the threaded cap, contents can be ejected merely by squeezing the tube. In many instances, however, when the tube is squeezed at some point along its length, air will flow back through the opening which tends to harden or cake the contents there in. As a result, the contents of the tube generally harden about the exit portion so that, when the tube is again squeezed to discharge the contents, material will flow from the back portions of the tube which have not been adversely affected by the admission of' air. This action often prevents the utilization of all of the contents within the tube, and in many cases, the excessive pressures required to discharge the contents therefrom result in damage to the tube so that the contents will emerge fromportions of the tube other than the opening in the end thereof.

Referring now to the drawings, the numeral 10 denotes a device in accordance with the invention which may be attached to the end of a tube to facilitate discharge of the contents therefrom. A fragmentary portion of a conventional collapsible tube is denoted by the number 11 and has a flattened end portion 12 which has been folded upon itself in order to permanently seal the end.

The device 10, which is preferably formed of a solid block of material such as plastic, wood or the like, has a cross-sectional configuration in the shape of a modified oval. More specifically, the minor axis is displaced from the center of the major axis so that the portion of maximum thickness is nearer one end of the oval. This will be observed more clearly in FIGURES l and 2. In these figures which illustrate side elevations of the device 10, the portion 13 to the left side of the minor .axis is essentially circular in configuration, while the portion of the right side of the minor axis curves gently toward the major axis and terminates in a relatively sharply rounded end portion 14. The forward portion of the device 10 which .is essentially of circular configuration is provided with an elongated narrow slot 15 extending longitudinally of the device 10 and in substantial alignment with the major axis. The slot 15 terminates in an enlarged longitudinal opening 16 of generally rectangular configuration. The axis of the opening 16 is generally aligned with the intersection of the major and minor axes as shown in FIGURES 1 and2, though it is evident that this longitudinal opening 16 can be shifted slightly along the major axis and relative to the minor axis without adversely affecting its mode of operation.

The cross-sectional area of the longitudinal opening 16 is made large enough to accommodate easily the rolled edge portion 12 on the tube 11, while the slot 15 is made just wide enough to accommodate the flattened tube portion 12' immediately adjoining the rolled edge 12. This facilitates insertion of the'end portion 12 of the tube 11 into the opening 16 as shown more clearly in FIGURE 2.

In the operation of the invention as described above after installationof the device 10 to the sealed end of the tube as shown in FIGURE 2, the removable cap on the tube is removed, and the device may be rolled in either a clockwise direction or a counterclockwise direction. In the view shown in FIGURE 3, the device 10 has been rolled in a counterclockwise direction, and it will be observed that because of the modified ovular construction substantially uniform mechanical advantage is obtained in all angular positions of the device 10 relative to the tube. In FIGURE 3, the device is in the position providing the minimum gripping area for rotation thereof, but in this position, one of the gently curved portions 17 to the right of the minor axis as shown in FIGURE 2 is in engagement with the tube so that a minimum rolling effort is required in order to collapse successive portions of the tube. As the device is moved to a position wherein the sharp curved portion 14 contacts the tube, maximum mechanical advantage is provided since the circular portion 13 is in position to be gripped by the hand and rolled forward. A substantially similar mechanical advantage is obtained when the circular portion 13 of the device 10 is in contact With the tube. Thus, regardless of the position which the device 10 may assume at any particular time, substantially uniform mechanical advantage is provided either by decreasing the rate at which the tube is collapsed or by having the device in a position which affords the user a relatively large lever arm in order to overcome the resistance of the tube in the ejection of the contents. Thus, in all positions of the device 10 relative to the tube, substantially uniform manual pressure is required to effect a uniform or controlled flow from the exit of the tube.

It will be observed in the figures that the curved portion to the left of the minor axis as shown in FIGURE 2 intersects the walls 15 of the slot 15 at substantially a right angle. While in many applications the angular relationship of the curved portion 13 with the walls 15' is not important, in other cases it is most desirable to limit the angle through which the portion 12 is bent when the device 10 is rolled on the tube. For this purpose, the portion of the device 10 immediately adjoining the edges of the slot 15 are preferably flattened as denoted by the numerals 13 so that the bend Will not exceed 90, and the tube may be safely bent about the edge and at the same time insure positive engagement of the tube with the opening 16 and the slot 15.

While only certain embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it is apparent that alterations, modificationsand changes may be made without departing from the true scope and spirit thereof as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for use with a collapsible tube for dispensing viscous materials such as toothpaste and the like and wherein one end of said tube has an opening with a removable cap for the discharge of the contents and the other end is closed by flattening the tube to form a linear closure and then clamping said closure to form a permanent seal having a thickness greater than twice the thickness of the tube Wall, comprising an elongated block of material having a length approximately equal to the length of the seal on the other end of said tube, said block having a cross-sectional configuration in the form of a modi- -fied oval with the minor axis displaced from the center of the major axis so that the portion of said oval on one side of the minor axis has a substantially uniform radius and is circular in shape while the portion of the oval on the other side of the minor axis is generally oval in shape and terminates in a relatively sharply rounded end portion, the major axis on said other side of the minor axis being at least twice the length of the major axis on said one side of the minor axis, said block further having a longitudinal opening extending therethrough and aligned with the intersection between the major and minor axes and a relatively narrowlongitudinal slot formed in the edge of the circular portion of said block and in alignment with said major axis, said slot intersecting said longitudinal opening, said slot and opening receiving the sealed end of said tube with said opening receiving and holding said enlarged seal portion whereby said device affords increased mechanical advantage to facilitate rotation and displacement of the tube contents to the open end portion of the tube.

2. A device according to claim 1 wherein the surface portions of said block immediately adjoining said slot are flattened to form a narrow elongated plane surface.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,990,929 2/1935 Bonham 222-99 X 2,161,516 6/1939 Jung 222-99 2,851,194 9/1958 Krystosek 22299 EVON C. BLUNK, Primary Examiner.

N. L. STACK, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A DEVICE FOR USE WITH A COLLAPSIBLE TUBE FOR DISPENSING VISCOUS MATERIALS SUCH AS TOOTHPASTE AND THE LIKE AND WHEREIN ONE END OF SAID TUBE HAS AN OPENING WITH A REMOVABLE CAP FOR THE DISCHARGE OF THE CONTENTS AND THE OTHER END IS CLOSED BY FLATTENING THE TUBE TO FORM A LINEAR CLOSURE AND THEN CLAMPING SAID CLOSURE TO FORM A PERMANENT SEAL HAVING A THICKNESS GREATER THAN TWICE THE THICKNESS OF THE TUBE WALL, COMPRISING AN ELONGATED BLOCK OF MATERIAL HAVING A LENGTH APPROXMIATELY EQUAL TO THE LENGTH OF THE SEAL ON THE OTHER END OF SAID TUBE, SAID BLOCK HAVING A CROSS-SECTIONAL CONFIGURATIONIN THE FORM OF A MODIFIED OVAL WITH THE MINOR AXIS DISPLACED FROM THE CENTER OF THE MAJOR AXIS SO THAT THE PORTION OF SAID OVAL ON ONE SIDE OF THE MINOR AXIS HAS A SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM RADIUS AND IS CIRCULAR IN SHAPE WHILE THE PORTION OF THE OVAL ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MINOR AXIS IS GENERALLY OVAL IN SHAPE AND TERMINATES IN A RELATIVELY SHARPLY ROUNDED END PORTION, THE MAJOR AXIS ON SAID OTHER SIDE OF THE MINOR AXIS BEING AT LEAST THE LENGTH OF THE MAJOR AXIS ON SAID ONE SIDE OF THE MINOR AXIS, SAID BLOCK FURTHER HAVING A LONGITUDINAL OPENING EXTENDING THERETHROUGH AND ALIGNED WITH THE INTERSECTION BETWEEN THE MAJOR AND MINOR AXES AND A RELATIVELY NARROW LONGITUDINAL SLOT FORMED IN THE EDGE OF THE CIRCULAR PORTION OF SAID BLOCK AND IN ALIGNMENT WITH SAID MAJOR AXIS, SAID SLOT INTERSECTING SAID LONGITUDINAL OPENING, SAID SLOT AND OPENING RECEIVING THE SEALED END OF SAID TUBE WITH SAID OPENING RECEIVING AND HOLDING SAID ENLARGED SEAL PORTION WHEREBY SAID DEVICE AFFORDS INCREASED MECHANICAL ADVANTAGE TO FACILITATE ROTATION AND DISPLACEMENT OF THE TUBE CONTENTS TO THE OPEN END PORTION OF THE TUBE. 